Madison West, Class of 1954

West High School, Madison, WI, 1954

Happy New Year and welcome to Class News, 2017. In December, I
wrote about Rita Wittic Stout's latest book. I have now read it
and can report that it is very good. Lots of names of classmates
and places in Madison, bringing back memories.

See the Classmate Contacts page for Rita's address, phone or email
address in order to order a copy of the book. I know you'd
enjoy it.

February, 2017: Dottie Jones King
sends her annual valentine. Thanks for remembering us, Dottie.
Apparently Vivo Activewear in Kenya is a project of King Scholar
Leadership program at Stanford University. Nice work, Dottie and
Bob.

Jim Lund died April 28, 2017 in Madison. The funeral is on
June 3rd at the Madison Friends Meeting House. See the Deceased
Classmates page for the obituary. Thanks to Helen Wilson Bly
("Willie") for alerting me.

Bob Annen died July 8, 2017 in Madison.
Thanks to Dick Hartwig for aletting me. His obituary is on the
Deceased Classmates page. At the last reunion, he came to the
Friday evening social hour, but not to the Saturday dinner. I had
a nice talk with him then, and we reminised about the University of
Wisconsin College of Engineering days, and some about the army. We
were both Army ROTC gradates. You will find his obituary
interesting.

Janet Johnson Preston died in Palo Alto, California on Sept. 8, 2017.
Janet was a classmate through her sophmore year, but then moved to
Colorado. However, she attended the
50 year reunion, and was friends with Dottie Jones King in Palo Alto through the
years. Classmates that attended Dudgeon Grade School may remember
her from those years too.

I didn't mention Janet on the Deceased Classmate page because she didn't
graduate in our class, but thanks to Dottie for sending the
information.

Stevenson House is a senior living facility named after Adlai Stevenson.
Remember Adlai, the presiential candidate?

Dottie also sends some more pictures with a note.

Dear John,

This picture of Janet was taken at my 80th B.D. Bill, her husband,
misses her very much. I made this card for the girls in the front
and
made an extra one for you.

We are meeting Wisconsin Union people tomorrow about the Willis Jones
Leadership Office.

Just returned from India after graduation from Dartmouth with an Honoary
Dr. degree in June.

Welcome to 2018, and the latest news from
classmates. Dottie sends her annual valintine:

Dottie writes: Have you moved yet? We have hired a nurse for
next door and we are staying in the same house. June 21
we celebrate 60 years. Our Dartmouth gave us an honorary degree in
June so we graduated with our granddaughter.

Extra love, Dottie & Bob

Joyce Greiger Abegglen notified me that
Carl Hilner died on Feb. 27, 2018 in
Cheyenne, WY. Carl was a classmate of mine
at Dudgeon School, as well as West High School. See the Deceased
Classmates page for the obituary. Thanks for the note, Joyce

Every Friday I get an email from the Wisconsin Alumni Association
entitled "The Friday Flamingo", which includes a section "Ask Abe".
On April 6, the subject was the Hasler
Laboritory of Limnology on Lake Mendota, which is named after Sylvia's
father, Arthur Hasler.
I think you might find it interesting.

Ask Abe

What's the history behind the Limnology Laboratory on Lake Mendota?

The lab on Lake Mendota was known as the Limnology Lab until 2005, when
it was renamed
the Hasler Laboratory of Limnology after the late Arthur Hasler PhD’37,
a former professor
who was instrumental in its creation. During Hasler’s tenure in the
1950s, the limnology
department was split between two buildings: its labs were on Park
Street, and its offices
were in Birge Hall. Unable to gain university funding for a new building
to house both,
Hasler instead secured funds from the National Science Foundation, and,
because he had
obtained the funding, he was allowed to select both the architect and
the site (excellent
choice, Dr. Hasler) for the new building. His spot on the lake seemed
like an obvious choice
for a limnology lab, but Hasler actually chose that location to prevent
an automobile road
from being built that would have disturbed the Lakeshore Nature
Preserve, an area he loved
greatly. Construction on the lab began in April 1962 and was completed
in August 1963. It
was dedicated as the Laboratory of Limnology 55 years ago yesterday — on
April 5, 1963.

If you are in Madison, follow Park Street north past the Memorial Union
and Scienc Hall and you will come
to the Limnology Laboratory.

Rita Wittich Stout died April 11, 2018 in Wheat Ridge, CO. See
the Deceased Classmates page for her obituary.

John Werth died September 8, 2018 in
Boulder Junction, WI. See the Deceased Classmates page for his
obituary.

Chuck Mortensen has a cabin in
northwestern Wisconsin which means a lot to him and his family. He
wrote and article
for the Wisconsin Natural Resources magzine, which he share with
classmates. The English Teachers at West High School
would be proud of him! See
Rewards of a
little cabin in the woods.

Ruth Rapoport Stotter is still working
at her profession of story telling. She shares this in a recent
email.

Greetings John,

I have been putting up displays in our library case quite a lot this
year. Here are a few pictures. They are all from my various collections.
The paper mache moon mask in the center on the top shelf in the
last
picture is the only mask that I made.

I have been invited by the Fulbright committee to teach in India again!
It’s called the CEIS scholar teaching Fulbright. I will be there for
three weeks January - February. They are also sending me to a number of
other local colleges to perform and do workshops. In addition -
there
is an International Storytelling Festival taking place one week-end
while I am there, and they are featuring me. I will stay at the
Loyola
university guest house.